The king was in tears - and he was being comforted by the basketball court jester.
Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman. What an unlikely duo to bring a fourth championship to Chicago.
Jordan was named the MVP of the finals, but it could have easily gone to Rodman, the rainbow-headed rebounding machine who kept the tired Bulls fired up until the hardware was finally in hand.
It's funny that Rodman would find a home in such a shot-and-a-beer, blue-collar Midwestern city.
But it was actually a perfect fit. Head coach Phil Jackson had the necessary patience of a saint and the fans fell in love with the guy who didn't care about scoring - as long as he came up with the loose ball.
Jordan, a driven man since his return from retirement to win it all again, was also a constant reminder to Rodman.
If you want a ring for that pink-painted fingernail, this is how you do it: You show up for practice and keep your head in the game.
With the exception of the foolish head-butting of a referee in midseason, Rodman played it cool - for a clown like him anyway.
And Rodman, who showed up in the Windy City just about tapped for cash, will soon have enough dough for a closet full of new dresses or leather or rifles or whatever his wacky heart desires.
On the court, though, he was the difference over last year's Chicago team that came up short.
His rebounding and defense at both ends of the court gave Jordan and Scottie Pippen more room to work their magic.
THE question over whether the Bulls are the greatest NBA team ever was supposedly dunked by Chicago unexpectedly losing two in a row at Seattle.
But that was never the issue with this team.
The ring was the thing. And now Jordan and Pippen and Jackson have four of them.
Maybe for the media, the championship wasn't enough after such a sensational regular season and earlier march through the playoffs.
Time after time, Jordan said the record number of regular-season victories was nice, but ...
And a sweep over the SuperSonics would be nice, but ...
The focus from the final buzzer of last season was on winning the NBA championship. Period. Whether it took four or five or six or even seven games was immaterial.
That's why Jordan is one of the greatest professional athletes in history. It's all about old-fashioned concepts such as dedication and focus and pride.
When Jordan's father was murdered, he had more than enough money to go into seclusion - to live a near-normal life with his wife and young family.
Instead, he was driven. And yesterday, the accomplishment and obvious thoughts of his dad moved him to tears.
Seattle is a fine young team and so is Orlando. If Shaquille O'Neal stays with the Magic, the changing of the NBA guard could come as early as next season - especially if the Bulls' management doesn't ante up and keep Jackson, Jordan and Rodman on the payroll.
Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Penny Hardaway and the Shaq are already great players who will get even better.
But for now, they don't have the rings or the shiny trophy. Once again, the serious spoils belong to the Chicago Bulls. And if the young NBA guns are smart, they will shut their yaps for a few minutes and take the time to realize what goes into winning one championship, let alone four in five seasons.
By the way, the Bulls are the best team in NBA history.
A six-game final series against the second-best team in the league doesn't change that.